Peak time Barnstaple services to be extended to/from Axminster?

[whole diary]

[PhilWakely]

From May 2022 I believe there are two GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services per day between Exeter and Axminster, extension of Barnstaple services, one morning peak and one evening. Crew have been told they'll be route learning soon which is where I've heard it. Though they all learnt to Pinhoe last year and that didn't happen.

Sounds reasonable given the loss of the two SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) 'locals' in the evening Peak and the crush loading of 1L93 (0610 Salisbury to Exeter St Davids) in the morning.

[RichardB]

From May 2022 I believe there are two GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services per day between Exeter and Axminster, extension of Barnstaple services, one morning peak and one evening. Crew have been told they'll be route learning soon which is where I've heard it. Though they all learnt to Pinhoe last year and that didn't happen.

Sounds reasonable given the loss of the two SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) 'locals' in the evening Peak and the crush loading of 1L93 (0610 Salisbury to Exeter St Davids) in the morning.

I've not heard anything either yet but agree with Phil.  The only reason Pinhoe extensions haven't happened yet is because it hasn't been possible to train enough crews due to the pandemic.

[PhilWakely]

The only reason Pinhoe extensions haven't happened yet is because it hasn't been possible to train enough crews due to the pandemic.

3Z50 (1511 Exeter TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot) to Castle Cary) and 3Z51 (1747 Castle Cary to Exeter TMD) - the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) route-refreshers for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) drivers are back in the schedule. However, judging by last week, they are not stopping at Pinhoe nor Axminster, so I am not entirely certain whether these runs will be useful for these Barnstaple extensions.

[REVUpminster]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) must be confident they will have the stock as an extra train would be needed and also another one for Okehampton.
The 769s must be coming on stream at Reading to release the 165s which are also being refurbished.

[infoman]

Shame the three councils of Somerset Dorset and Wiltshire can't get together and get a continued journey to Salisbury

[grahame]

Shame the three councils of Somerset Dorset and Wiltshire can't get together and get a continued journey to Salisbury

I don't know about that one ... I will leave it to the "line experts" to comment but looking back at old timetables, I would suspect that the 30 minute services at each end - into Exeter from Axminster and into Salisbury and east thereof from Yeovil Junction are somewhat separate commuter flows in terms of justifying the extra service.  But, please, convince me otherwise.

If we're doing a "total review", I know I've oft advocated the extension of the Romsey 6 up to (and beyond) Westbury, but would a good use of the train that sits in the bay at Salisbury be an onward service to Yeovil (Pen Mill, via Junction) rather than extending the slower of the two trains in the hour coming into Salisbury from Basingstoke?   I had better stop writing before I suggest something REALLLY silly that forgets it's a single line!

[REVUpminster]

In the December 2019 timetable SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) used to run between the 16.25 , 17.25, 1825 London trains a 1639 to Honiton not stopping at Cranbrook or Feniton and an 1746 Axminster all stations.

Arrivals in the morning at Exeter were more complicated 0635 from Axminster, 0742 from Gillingham, 0822 and 0944 from Salisbury, before settling down to xx43 arrivals from London.

Devon Metro was always intended to replace theses services.

Hopefully stock should not be a problem as 769s at Reading displace 165s west.
An extra train would be needed as would another for the hourly Okehampton service from May.

[paul7575]

Following up this subject in the latest track access applications on NR^» (Network Rail - home page)’s website, they have only applied for contingent rights to the 3 public services, on the basis that SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) May reinstate their own short workings in Dec 22.

[DaveHarries]

The only extension I can see so far runs on Mondays to Fridays only which is that the 1639 Barnstaple to Exeter Central is retimed to depart Barnstaple at 1631 and runs through to Axminster. After Exeter Central this will call at Pinhoe, Cranbrook, Feniton and Honiton before arriving Axminster at 1828.

The unfortunate thing with this is that the train on this trip then works ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Exeter TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot) on a lengthy schedule: the working leaves Axminster at 1847 and heads to Castle Cary with a pause at Chard Junction (28 minutes) and arrives at Castle Cary at 1952, It then leaves Castle Cary at 2036 and runs to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s depot at Exeter, via. Yeovil, Axminster and Honiton with pauses at Chard Junction (6 minutes), Honiton (28 minutes) and Exeter St. Davids (4 minutes because the train reverses direction there) before arriving at the depot at 2225. Makes a good route refresher for the drivers but rather a long one: a siding at Axminster would surely be a good idea? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W45741/2022-05-16/detailed

Dave

[bradshaw]

Relay the old Lyme Regis bay on the up platform. Then the service could wait for the down and up Waterloos which cross here. It could thus serve as a connection into and out of the London services which could run Honiton and Exeter only.

[Mark A]

The unfortunate thing with this is that the train on this trip then works ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Exeter TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot) on a lengthy schedule: the working leaves Axminster at 1847 and heads to Castle Cary with a pause at Chard Junction (28 minutes) and arrives at Castle Cary at 1952, It then leaves Castle Cary at 2036 and runs to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s depot at Exeter, via. Yeovil, Axminster and Honiton with pauses at Chard Junction (6 minutes), Honiton (28 minutes) and Exeter St. Davids (4 minutes because the train reverses direction there) before arriving at the depot at 2225. Makes a good route refresher for the drivers but rather a long one: a siding at Axminster would surely be a good idea? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W45741/2022-05-16/detailed

Dave

68 miles there and back? That's just embarrassing, considering that I recently recall more than one railway manager arguing in respect of the Bristol to Waterloo services "Well we can't be expected to run trains carrying fresh air, 'cos environmental impact".

[RichardB]

The unfortunate thing with this is that the train on this trip then works ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Exeter TMD^▸ (Traction Maintenance Depot) on a lengthy schedule: the working leaves Axminster at 1847 and heads to Castle Cary with a pause at Chard Junction (28 minutes) and arrives at Castle Cary at 1952, It then leaves Castle Cary at 2036 and runs to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s depot at Exeter, via. Yeovil, Axminster and Honiton with pauses at Chard Junction (6 minutes), Honiton (28 minutes) and Exeter St. Davids (4 minutes because the train reverses direction there) before arriving at the depot at 2225. Makes a good route refresher for the drivers but rather a long one: a siding at Axminster would surely be a good idea? https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W45741/2022-05-16/detailed

Dave

68 miles there and back? That's just embarrassing, considering that I recently recall more than one railway manager arguing in respect of the Bristol to Waterloo services "Well we can't be expected to run trains carrying fresh air, 'cos environmental impact".

These trains are bound to replace the route refreshers mentioned by Phil Wakely above.

[REVUpminster]

This train is only replacing the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) 1746 Exeter St David's-to Axminster from the pre-covid timetable. I think the SWR then went empty to Salisbury.

It will be interesting what stock is used as Exeter depot uses 158s 166s and 150s to Barnstaple and there might be 165s as well after May.

[PhilWakely]

This train is only replacing the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) 1746 Exeter St David's-to Axminster from the pre-covid timetable. I think the SWR then went empty to Salisbury.

It will be interesting what stock is used as Exeter depot uses 158s 166s and 150s to Barnstaple and there might be 165s as well after May.

Both the SWR 'locals' returned to Exeter - one in service, the other as ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock).

The Turbos have not be gauge checked between Exmouth Junction and Axminster and, as far as I am aware, there are currently no plans to use them on the Axminsters.

[grahame]

The Turbos have not be gauge checked between Exmouth Junction and Axminster and, as far as I am aware, there are currently no plans to use them on the Axminsters.

I suspect we're at something of a "pinch point" at the moment with regional / local stock shortage in Bristol and Exeter.  Once the 769s come into substantial service from Reading, Turbos cascade to Bristol and then more / most 158s move from there to Exeter giving more 15x stock available for services from there ... such as an hourly service to Okehampton, the extras to Axminster, and longer trains in the South West for the Sumer leisure traffic.

Will the 769s be into service by May?

What will users of the Cardiff - Portsmouth and connecting services in Wessex think of the stock changes? We are tired of short, overcrowded trains and will welcome them rising up to the five carriages, but we remain unhappy with a degrading from the regional class 158 trains to suburban units of classes 165 and 166.  Suburban units are fine for what they were designed and bought for - and that's services such as the stoppers to Severn Beach and to Weston-super-mare where the mid carriage doors help, but that are far from clever on long distance journeys.